Marrow Transplant Called Success

Joshua Sent Home

February 10, 1985|United Press International

GAINESVILLE — A 9-month-old Palmetto boy born with the same immune-deficient disease that afflicted the ``bubble boy`` in Texas has gone home with a new lease on life, hospital officials said Saturday.

Joshua Morr was sent home from Shands Hospital Friday after doctors gave the baby the ability to fight diseases despite being born with no immune system of his own.

Unlike Houston`s ``bubble boy,`` who lived his entire life in a germ-free plastic bubble until his death last year, Joshua will most likely will be able to lead the life of a normal, rambunctious youngster, said Dr. Douglas Barrett, associate professor of pediatrics and immunology at the University of Florida`s College of Medicine.

Joshua is the first patient in Florida to develop an immune system after receiving a bone marrow transplant ``cleansed`` of cells that would normally cause rejection, Barrett said.

``Marrow cleansing could triple the number of patients who can receive transplants,`` Barrett said. ``This could make transplants available to patients suffering from certain types of leukemia, anemia and other marrow deficiencies.``

Before the development of ``marrow cleansing`` in 1982, bone marrow transplants required matched marrow to prevent rejection, Barrett said.

``It`s been 50 days since Joshua`s transplant, and blood tests show his new marrow is forming immune system cells that already are exhibiting disease- fighting capability,`` said Barrett, who performed the ``cleansing`` and transplant.

Since neither of Joshua`s parents -- James and Cheryl Morr -- had marrow that matched his, they decided to go along with the new technique.

``Dr. Barrett told us Joshua could survive maybe a year or so without an immune system,`` Cheryl Morr said. ``We thought, `Even though it`s a new procedure, it may mean we`ll have him for a lifetime.` ``

Joshua`s mother was chosen as the marrow donor, since her marrow most closely matched Joshua`s. Starting with a liter of her extracted marrow, Barrett ``cleansed`` the marrow in a 14-hour procedure that included treatments with a soybean derivative and red blood cells taken from sheep.

Nearly two months after the operation, blood tests show mature immune cells are being formed in Joshua`s tiny bones, Barrett said.